The State Duma is drafting a statement to introduce the visa regime for Tajik citizens

ajik Prosecutor General Sherkhon Salimzoda told reporters on Thursday that the verdict for the pilots will be substantially mitigated soon

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MOSCOW, November 18 (Itar-Tass) — For the period of the scandal over the verdict against Russian pilots, which the Tajik court accused of illegal border transgression, Russia has already deported 57 Tajik illegal migrants, the deputy chief of the migration control department of the Tajik Migration Service Safarbek Tokhirov said. Meanwhile, the State Duma is drafting a statement that the visa regime should be introduced for Tajik citizens, who arrive in Russia.

The Tajik official did not link directly the deportation of illegal labour migrants with the conviction of Russian pilots, the Komsomolskaya Pravda writes. According to him, frequently Tajik citizens, who arrive in Russia, are not registered. “Meanwhile, there are frequent cases, when Tajiks commit repeated administrative offences in the country of residence that causes their extradition,” he agreed with the position of the Russian migration service, which insists that violations of Russian legislation, rather than politics are behind the deportation of each Tajik.

President of the Russian Federation of Migrants Muhammad Amin Madjumder told the Novye Izvestia that Russian authorities are drafting documents for the deportation of another several hundreds of Tajik citizens. The police detained no less than 1,500 Tajik migrants in various Russian cities last week, he said. “Even those who had the identity documents were detained. The police said that they should check their authenticity,” he elaborated.

However, the State Duma is already preparing a statement that the visa regime should be introduced for Tajik citizens, who arrive in Russia. The State Duma Committee for International Affairs and the Committee for CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots are debating the statement. The visa regime should be introduced, because other measures can hardly suppress the drug trafficking from Tajikistan to Russia.

A political scientist Dmitry Abzalov, who is cited by the newspaper, believes that the debates on the visa regime Moscow can use for building up its position at the negotiations with Tajikistan. However, no concrete decisions will be taken, the political scientist said. “Russia and Tajikistan are interested in the settlement of the conflict, therefore their relations will be settled soon,” he believes. Muhammad Amin Madjumder supports the same opinion. “We are aware that the Tajik authorities want Russian pilots to be brought home,” he added.

There are some indicators of thaw in relations. Tajik Prosecutor General Sherkhon Salimzoda told reporters on Thursday that the verdict for the pilots will be substantially mitigated soon and the sentence will be pronounced “lower than the minimal term,” envisaged under the legislation. “The pilots will be given a suspended sentence or be pardoned. So, they will fly home and Tajikistan will not have to refuse from accusations,” Dmitry Abzalov believes.